MIAMI — LeBron James compared the Miami Dream Team’s slow start last season to the Knicks’ current malaise, but stopped short of calling them contenders for the Eastern Conference title.

“It takes time,’’ James said Wednesday night from Detroit, where his Heat played the Pistons. “It’s never going to work right overnight, and we were the prime example of that. It took us time. We were 9-8 at one point, but it took us even longer after that to become a good team, to know each other, to learn each other, what works for each other, what don’t work. I think they’re going through the same thing right now but people want results now. That’s just the league and the world we leave in.’’

James has a point, especially because last season’s Heat had a full training camp and preseason schedule. The Knicks had two weeks of camp and two preseason games and didn’t add Tyson Chandler until camp already had begun because of the lockout-frenzied itinerary.

Nevertheless, 7-11 is not exactly 9-8, and James didn’t go overboard in predicting big things for the “Broadway Bigs,’’ featuring Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Chandler. In fact, James was the one who triggered that famous Chris Paul toast at Anthony’s 2010 wedding when he kidded to Paul that he could form another superteam in New York with Stoudemire and Anthony. Paul, now with the Clippers, made his toast, but the sentiment is now shattered.

“That’s really not for me to answer,’’ James said on whether the Knicks can compete for the East. “I feel they got some really good pieces, but as far as righting the ship, I don’t know. I’m here with my teammates and I got to worry about what we have going on here.’’

Chris Bosh also wouldn’t go that far.

“We don’t know yet,’’ Bosh said. “It takes more than the games they’ve played to really jell together. It’s tough to say [title contender]. You never know what can happen. They’re the opponent for us. So I don’t want to juice them too much and I don’t want to give them, ‘Oh Chris said we’re not this and that.’

“They have a lot of work to do. Just like we do.”

*

The Knicks didn’t practice yesterday, but Baron Davis held a private 3-on-3 scrimmage with some players at the arena and had no setbacks. It’s still a long shot he will play tonight.

*

Knicks guard Mike Bibby returns to the site of one of his career-low moments when he played an awful series in The Finals for the Heat. It was just the opposite for Chandler, who celebrated mightily in June as the member of the Mavericks.

But Chandler said he didn’t stay long at the well-publicized South Beach club victory celebration in which the NBA’s championship trophy was present.

“I definitely celebrated in the locker room and some guys went to South Beach,’’ Chandler said. “I was there for 10 minutes, went in, saw the trophy, but it was too crazy. I went back to the hotel and spent time with my family. I wanted to enjoy the special moment with them.’’

*

Former Knicks center Eddy Curry, who has played three games since his return to the NBA last week with Miami, said he is impressed with the work ethic of James and Dwyane Wade.

“I’ve never seen a bunch of guys, just workaholics, just really working on their craft every single day,” Curry said. “I haven’t seen anybody take an off-day yet. It humbles you and makes you want to work even harder. I’m happy, in a good place in life. I can’t complain.”